Professional Development: An Analysis of Self-Efficacy in Education

This essay delves into the concept of self-efficacy, defining it as the belief in one's ability to succeed and achieve positive outcomes. It differentiates self-efficacy from efficacy, highlighting the individual's role in self-belief and motivation. The essay emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy in setting and achieving goals, overcoming challenges, and maintaining commitment. It examines factors that contribute to self-efficacy, including mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and psychological responses. A literature review examines the relationship between self-efficacy and education, analyzing research on adult learners, academic performance in higher education, and the development of academic self-efficacy, including gender and ethnic influences. The conclusion underscores the significance of self-efficacy for academic achievement and professional development. The essay also includes a reflection on the author's personal experiences with self-efficacy and its impact on their life.

Professional Research & Communication
Self-Efficacy
9/8/2017

Professional Research & Communication
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
Self-Efficacy and Efficacy – Description & Difference...............................................................................4
Importance of Self-Efficacy....................................................................................................................4
Major Factors Contributing Self-Efficacy...............................................................................................5
Literature Review: Self-Efficacy and Education.........................................................................................5
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................8
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Abstract
Self-efficacy is defined as the ability to achieve positive outcomes with self-belief and power to
win over the challenges and hardships. Self-efficacy is an important requirement to succeed in
every phase of life. An essay has been written on self-efficacy that includes its description and
the difference between self-efficacy and efficacy. The major factors and the importance of self-
efficacy have also been covered. A literature review has been included by reviewing four
research works to understand the relationship between self-efficacy and education.
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Introduction
Self-efficacy is a term that refers to the belief that an individual has in his/her own capability and
capacity to execute the behaviors that are required for producing specific performance
attainments. There are various incidents that take place in the personal, professional and social
environments that demand varied behavior and control. Self-efficacy is a reflection on the
confidence to monitor and control self-motivation and behavior (Akhtar, 2017).
Self-Efficacy and Efficacy – Description & Difference
Efficacy is a term that refers to the ability to produce a specific result out of an activity. Self-
efficacy, on the other hand, is one of the positive psychology models that refer to the self-belief
in one’s own competence and capacity to achieve a favorable outcome.
Efficacy can be controlled by various personal and external factors and there may or may not be
a significant role of one’s own thoughts, beliefs and actions in this case. However, in the case of
self-efficacy, the primary actor is the individual itself. The level of self-efficacy primarily
depends upon the individual and can be regulated by the same.
Importance of Self-Efficacy
There are specific goals that every individual aspires to achieve. However, it is often witnessed
that they do not have a plan of action to achieve these goals. Self-efficacy is extremely important
as provides a perspective and motivation to achieve the goals and overcome the challenges.
People that have strong self-efficacy get the ability to overcome the challenges that may face in
different situations across their life span. They master the art of resolving the challenges and
moving ahead instead of getting stuck at one place. It also leads to the formation of deeper
understanding of the tasks and activities and enhances the level of commitment as well. Setbacks
and disappointments are common in every phase of life. The individual that has the ability to
quickly overcome such disappoints can only taste the flavor of success in life. Self-efficacy
provides the capability to get over the setbacks and look out for new vistas (Linnenbrink, 2003).
On the other hand, people that have low self-efficacy tend to avoid the challenges and often get
scared of the negative outcomes. Such individuals also lose their confidence in their abilities and
capabilities.
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Major Factors Contributing Self-Efficacy
There are various factors that contribute self-efficacy and its enhancement. One of such major
factors is mastery experiences. Successful execution of the tasks and getting over the challenges
enhances the self-efficacy of an individual. The experiences of facing the setbacks and negative
outcomes also provide the ability to get over the same so that positive results may be achieved.
In the social environment that we live in, every individual has a unique way of reacting to a
situation. Observing the social elements going through a similar situation can also enhance self-
efficacy. It can provide the correct perspective and the capability to succeed by taking inspiration
from others.
Another factor that has a lot of contribution in self-efficacy is verbal encouragement from others.
Social persuasion provides the individual with the confidence and belief to accomplish a
particular task (Serc, 2017).
Psychological responses in a situation also have a huge impact on the self-efficacy of an
individual. Personal mood and feelings along with the emotional and physical reaction to a
situation can have a lot of significance on the belief in personal abilities. The ability to control
the stress levels can lead to higher self-efficacy for the individuals (Verywell, 2017).
Literature Review: Self-Efficacy and Education
There has been a lot of research done in the areas of self-efficacy and its significance in the field
of education.
Maria de Fatima Goulao has researched on the topic of the relationship between self-efficacy and
the academic achievement in adults’ learners. The research methodology that has been used by
the author is the qualitative method of research and the sample size of 63 students with an
average size of 42 years was used in the research. The research question that the author primarily
focused upon is the role that self-efficacy has on the adults’ learning. The author has explained
the difference between adult learning and adult education. The explanation has been provided in
the context of online learning. The primary sources of self-efficacy include past experience or
performance, vicarious experiences, social persuasion and psychological responses. The author
analyzed the self-efficacy of the students in their course and found the levels to be relatively
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high. The relationship between the self-efficacy of the groups and their performance is also
analyzed in the context of virtual learning. There is a significant relationship between academic
performance and self-efficacy (Goulao, 2014).
Another research has been done by the author, Amel Sakraoui Haddoune, to understand the
relationship between self-efficacy and education. The author has analyzed self-efficacy and its
role in attaining better academic performance in higher education. The methodology of research
used by the author is the qualitative approach. The author has beautifully described the effects of
self-efficacy in education at the cognitive, motivational, affective and selection levels. Students
only invest in the future academic goals and learning only if they have higher levels of self-
efficacy. It also provides them with the power to meet out the competition with lower stress
levels. Teachers can also have a significant role in developing self-efficacy in the students and
learners. They can adopt measures, such as, goal setting, strategy training, modeling and
feedback. There are several strategies that have been explained in the research that may allow the
learners to control and monitor their self-efficacy levels. These strategies include motivation
control, emotion control and environmental control strategies (Haddoune, 2015).
Dale H. Schunk and Frank Pajares have jointly carried out a research on the development of
academic self-efficacy. The authors have used action and grounded theory as the approaches for
the execution of the research. They have defined self-efficacy as one’s power to perform and
learn at different situations. They have also distinguished self-efficacy from other constructs,
such as, effectance motivation, outcome expectations, self-concept beliefs and perceived control.
It has been illustrated that schooling has a lot of impact on the self-efficacy of a student. The
self-efficacy beliefs have been witnessed to decline in the advanced schooling stages. This is due
to the reasons as increased competition, lesser attention by the teachers, peer pressure, familial
pressure and likewise. There are also various transitions that a student faces during the advanced
schooling stage that also has a lot of influence on self-efficacy. The authors have explained the
role of gender and ethnicity in the area of self-efficacy in education. It has been discovered that
boys/men have higher self-efficacy than girls/women in the field of mathematics and technology.
It is opposite in the subjects such as language, arts, and psychology. These differences are due to
the psychological traits and social influence associated with both the genders. There is also an
impact of ethnicity on the self-efficacy of the individuals that has been observed. Goal setting,
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constructive feedback, increased attention etc. can enhance the levels of self-efficacy in students
(Schunk & Pajares, 2011).
Anthony R. Artino, Jr has conducted a research on the topic, Academic self-efficacy: from
educational theory to instructional practice. The method of research that has been used by the
author is the qualitative method of research. The primary research questions that the author has
focused upon include the sources of self-efficacy, structure of self-efficacy and its implication in
the medical education. Success in the academic environment does not simply rely upon the
knowledge and the skills that are possessed by the learner. It is necessary to have higher levels of
self-efficacy to deal with various situations that come up during academic courses. Self-efficacy
of the students in the medical education can enable them to have a clear goal and also provides
them with the ability to meet out the challenges. Medical education has a long span and there are
several downfalls and achievements that may come up. Self-efficacy can be developed by using
peer-modeling along with the effective communication through feedbacks (Artino, 2012).
Conclusion
The research that has been conducted by different researchers and authors has provided the link
and relationship between self-efficacy and education. In case of academic performance and
academic learning, self-efficacy has a lot of significance. It can be concluded through the
outcomes of all the research articles and journals that have been reviewed that it is not only the
knowledge and the skills that can lead to academic achievements. It is necessary to have faith in
self in terms of the motivation to perform better and the ability to fight the challenges. There is a
lot of competition in the academic courses that exists. The learners and students that have lower
stress levels and the ability to perform in every situation can only succeed. All of these abilities
have an extremely high dependency on the levels of self-efficacy. It is, therefore, necessary that
the self-efficacy levels are maintained and improved to gain better academic results.
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Reflection
Self-efficacy has had an important role in my personal life. There have been phases in life
wherein I stopped myself for achieving my goals due to self-efficacy. For instance, I had poor
academic performance in spite of all the efforts. I got stressed and the level of my self-efficacy
dropped. However, my teachers and my family persuaded me and provided me with the required
amount of motivation. Their support enhanced my level of self-efficacy and I gained the power
and ability to perform better.
Self-efficacy can be applied in the area of professional development. There are occurrences
during the professional commitments that include a mix of success and failures. With the aid of
self-efficacy, it becomes possible to deal with the excessive amount of stress and pressure.
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References
Akhtar, M. (2017). What is Self-Efficacy? Bandura's 4 Sources of Efficacy Beliefs.
PositivePsychology.org.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
http://positivepsychology.org.uk/self-efficacy-definition-bandura-meaning/
Artino, A. (2012). Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice.
Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3540350/
Goulao, M. (2014). The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in
Adults’ Learners. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
https://www.atiner.gr/journals/education/2014-1-3-4-Goulao.pdf
Haddoune, A. (2015). Reflection on students’ self-efficacy expectancies : Paving the path to
better achievement outcomes in Higher education. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
http://www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/43977414.pdf
Linnenbrink, E. (2003). The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Student Engagement and Learning in
the Classroom. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10573560308223?journalCode=urwl20
Schunk, D., & Pajares, F. (2011). The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy. Retrieved 8
September 2017, from https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/SchunkPajares2001.PDF
Serc. (2017). Self-Efficacy. Affective Domain. Retrieved 8 September 2017, from
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/efficacy.html
Verywell. (2017). Self Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters. Verywell. Retrieved 8
September 2017, from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954
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